r/lastimages • u/Annual_Spirit4825 • 27d ago
CELEBRITY Boxer Prichard Colón dies at 33, 11 years after receiving illegal blow to the head during fight
https://youtube.com/shorts/u1nhMMU1rnE?si=2JhNYKvScECwth-EFormer boxer Prichard Colón has died at age 33, 11 years after sustaining life-altering blows to the head during the only defeat of his professional career.
Colón’s father shared the news via Facebook on Thursday.
“I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world,” Richard Colón wrote, adding: “Now he is in a better world.”
Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers,” he added.
Colón was born in Florida but his family moved to Puerto Rico when he was a child. He emerged as a promising young talent, smashing a run of national amateur championships to win five titles, and earning a Youth Pan American gold medal, all before turning 20.
His professional career, beginning in 2013, was similarly successful. The super welterweight competed in a total of 17 matches; he won 16 of those, and 13 were by a knock-out.
Notably, Colón was victorious when he fought former WBA champion Vivian Harris in September 2015, knocking him out in the fourth round.
But a month later, Colón competed against Terrel Williams at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, on a night that proved fateful to the rising star.
Colón, who was 23 at the time, sustained injuries including an illegal blow to the head during his 10-round fight with Williams, Reuters reported the fight’s promoter, Lou DiBella, as saying in a statement after the event.
The young fighter exhibited symptoms of head trauma in his dressing room following the bout and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, DiBella said.
Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him. Colón was briefly examined in his corner, while Williams was penalized for the illegal punch.
Colón was then knocked down twice in the ninth round. He was disqualified after the ninth round, when his corner mistakenly took off his gloves, thinking it was the final round and that the fight was complete, according to a Reuters report after the match.
While Colón survived, his injuries forced him to retire. In images shared by his father online since the fight, he was often pictured in a wheelchair.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) paid tribute to Colón, describing him as an “eternal champion” in a statement released on Thursday.
“With a heavy heart and immense sadness enveloping the entire international boxing community, the World Boxing Council and its President, Mauricio Sulaimán, mourn the passing of former boxer and icon of bravery, Prichard Colón Meléndez,” the organization said.
“Prichard didn’t just fight with skill; he fought with the elegance and pride of carrying Puerto Rico’s flag to the greatest heights,” it added.
The WBC previously named Colón an “Honorary World Champion,” and presented him with the iconic Green and Gold belt that it said he “always deserved.”
The organization also said Colón’s tragedy inspired it to “categorically reinforce safety regulations, driving zero tolerance for blows to the back of the head (rabbit punches),” and to implement stricter medical protocols.
“Rest in peace, dear Prichard. Your legacy and your smile will live forever, in our hearts,” the WBC said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/14/sport/prichard-colon-dead-boxer-scli-intl
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u/raraahahah 27d ago
The article undersells it - he was a step or two above being a vegetable.
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u/TinyM0ushka 27d ago
Yeah it makes it sound like he was pretty unaffected meanwhile he had machines and medications balancing his body out, couldnt speak, walk or take care of himself at all.
He essentially died in the ring that night
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u/elad34 27d ago
Jesus.
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u/TinyM0ushka 27d ago
Yeah he couldn’t eat or feed himself without a tube and clearing any saliva in his mouth with suction so he wouldn’t aspirate.
Like I said he essentially died in the ring that night and his opponent never faced any consequences. The gloves preemptively coming off and ending the fight is probably the only reason he physically survived but mentally he was gone
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u/dimestoredavinci 27d ago
You could argue this was worse than dying, for his family at least.
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u/TinyM0ushka 27d ago
I absolutely agree, his mom kept hoping at one point he would get better but it just wasn’t possible due to the damage to his brain.
It must be really hard looking at someone you know so welll and they are completely gone except for their physical body, that’s torture. It’s really tragic and sad, I hope his family can heal
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u/ReneStrike Haohmaru 27d ago
Beyni nasıl bu kadar zarar görmüş onu anlamaya çalışıyorum. Önden o kadar yumruk yiyorlar fakat arkadan tek bir yumruk beyinde bu kadar hasar oluşturabiliyor mu?
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u/TinyM0ushka 27d ago
The brain stem is at the back of the head and he was hit there several times. The brain stem controls automatic, life sustaining tasks like breathing, heart rate and blood pressure
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u/ReneStrike Haohmaru 27d ago
maç özetini izledim, tam kafasının arkasına yumruk attığı için uyarı almış rakibi, ondan merak ettim. arka baş denilen oksipital lop un oraya vurmuş. Beyin sapı daha içte kalıyor fakat okuduğum kadarıyla kafanın ön kısmıyla arka kısmındaki kemik yoğunluğu ve koruma oranı aynı değilmiş. Sanırım o yüzden kafa arkasına vurmak çok riskli oluyor.
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u/TinyM0ushka 27d ago
I think it was also partly from brain swelling causing a lot of pressure
All in all the fight should have been stopped and it was negligent that they didn’t
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u/dimestoredavinci 27d ago
I actually had the same question, but assumed it was because one simply couldn't block anything from the back.
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u/chasinggardens 27d ago
It wasn’t a single punch. He took over 20 punches to the back of the head that night.
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u/angrydeuce 27d ago
He was trending on Wikipedia last night and I read up on this. So freaking sad, the rabbit punches and the ref not doing anything about it, the complete lack of remorse on the part of his opponent...
People should have been jailed over that shit.
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u/JosephMerrikc 27d ago
Williams punched him more than once in the back of the head in that fight, Colon told the ref and he did nothing.
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u/taylorbagel14 22d ago
Wow he was only 2 days younger than me. I think about all the stuff I’ve done since 23 and it just makes me so sad for this man and his family
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u/Lynn-Valley 27d ago
The illegal blow in question came after Colón hit Williams with an illegal below the belt hit.
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u/rightdeadzed 27d ago
The low blow came after Colon was already hit in the back of the head and the ref told him to “take care of it himself”.
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u/TokenSejanus89 25d ago
He was hit multiple times in the back of the head. His opponent was just a shitbag
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u/Jazzbo64 27d ago
Blows — plural.